If you're OK at maths {that's what the Brits call it}, you're more likely to be well off.

That's the conclusion of a study by the US think tank Rand Corp, which found that couples who scored well on a short test of math skills accumulated more wealth by middle age than couples who scored poorly.

Researchers found that when both spouses correctly answered three math questions, family wealth averaged $US1.7 million ($1.72 million). That compared with $US200,000 ($202,531) for households where neither spouse answered any question correctly.